How do you decode a cosmetic ingredient list? How are researchers using artificial intelligence (AI) to improve skincare? Which skincare ingredients are completely pointless? Victoria Fu, the co-founder of Chemist Confessions, is here to answer all those questions and more. Plus, she tells us about an AI-discovered molecule that improves skin elasticity and explains how the digital era has made it harder to separate fact from fiction in the beauty world. Products mentioned in this episode: shopm...
Feb 03, 2023•49 min
A few years ago, faces were looking full (from all the filler?); these days, the rich and famous look sculpted, “snatched,” and downright gaunt. It could be the popularity of Ozempic (a diabetes medicine that’s also prescribed for weight loss) and more people getting buccal-fat removal, but it’s also proof that cosmetic injectables follow trend cycles—just like makeup, hair, and clothes. Let’s discuss! Plus: party gossip from Jess’s Moda Operandi launch; the amazing front-row makeup looks (Doja ...
Feb 01, 2023•29 min
As an advisor to numerous clients in the beauty industry, trial attorney Kelly Bonner plays a part in America’s complex system of cosmetics regulation—and she’s here to tell us about it. What does “natural” mean when it comes to hair care? Is topical collagen improving skin the way customers think it is? These are just some of the questions currently up for debate in the courts, as Kelly explains. Plus, she tells us how beauty brands test for safety and try to ensure their marketing doesn’t misl...
Jan 27, 2023•43 min
How much frost is too much frost in a lipstick? All depends on how you wear it, we say. We’re swiping on some throwback lip shades, then discussing the latest beauty gossip: Makeup By Mario’s expansion; Lancôme’s Gen-Z play; Viktor&Rolf’s Flowerbomb bombshell; and Ole Henriksen’s Scandi collaboration. Plus: The Fat Mascara Fam did their homework! We’re sharing a listener’s favorite product for moisturizing hair and scalp product, plus a shine spray Jess loves and an “orbital” balm Jenn has b...
Jan 25, 2023•29 min
Whether you’re a beauty enthusiast looking for the next great product or you work in the beauty industry, this interview with Julian Reis, CEO & founder of SuperOrdinary, is a must-listen. He talks about the future of beauty shopping and explains how his company connects brands (think: Olaplex, Nécessaire, Ouai, Farmacy, Milk Makeup) with influencers and KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) in China who sell millions of products via livestreaming platforms such as XiaoHongShu, Douyin, Kuaishou, and Ta...
Jan 20, 2023•46 min
Noninvasive “tweakments” like DiamondGlow facials, Morpheus8, and the Moxi laser are gaining popularity with people who say they’re “high maintenance to be low maintenance.” Meaning: Can getting some cosmetic procedures now mean less makeup, less skincare, and less upkeep in the long run? Let’s discuss! After that: The FDA’s authority over cosmetics regulations is expanding, there’s a correlation between drinking sugary beverages and hair loss, and Jenn geeks out in the science corner. Plus, a l...
Jan 18, 2023•31 min
Pro tennis player Sloane Stephens can find a hairstylist in any country, calls candles an essential travel item (she has one from Tom Ford with her at the Australian Open right now!), and knows how to stay moisturized if you’re taking five showers a day (which she often does). In this interview, we talk about her beauty routine and so much more: managing the stress of being a pro athlete, maintaining balance, and setting intentions for the year ahead. Sponsor links & discount codes: shopmy.u...
Jan 13, 2023•35 min
Jess shares what she’s been working on since last summer, when she takes us through the “heroes and hidden gems” from Moda Operandi’s new beauty website—including the dirty, sexy floral fragrance she’s been wearing since fall (and refusing to tell Jenn about until now). Before that, do tween boys need skincare? Plus, a new tool that helps people with limited mobility apply makeup; a tea for people with interstitial cystitis (IC); a dupe for Urban Decay’s legendary Y2K-era Litter nail polish; and...
Jan 11, 2023•37 min
In his first podcast interview ever, Belgian makeup artist Peter Philips reveals what goes on behind the scenes at Dior, where he serves as the creative and image director for Christian Dior Makeup. He tells us how to baby-step out of our makeup comfort zones and have more fun with color this year. He also shares the secrets to his creative process and stories behind some of the iconic fashion images he’s helped create. All that, plus Flemish lessons, gummi bears, and the one product models are ...
Jan 06, 2023•39 min
Journalist and podcaster Kim France, creator of Girls of A Certain Age and co-host of the Everything is Fine podcast (and the founding editor of Lucky magazine) is here to talk about getting older—which happened to all of us in 2022 (if we were lucky). We discuss "midlife," what age that happens, and whether you need to change up your style and beauty routine when you get there. Plus, what's up with all the in-between ages that our culture and mainstream advertising tend to ignore? Is “anti-agin...
Jan 04, 2023•52 min
Science educator Michelle Wong, PhD (aka @LabMuffin), is going to change the way you think about beauty products! Together, we take a closer look at the clean-beauty movement, discuss the racist and colorist history of skin-lightening products, talk about how to evaluate user reviews for authenticity, and learn how to avoid confirmation bias so we can be better beauty consumers. This interview originally aired in June 2019, but we'll be back on January 6 with all new episodes! Sponsor links &...
Dec 30, 2022•28 min
Can you take probiotics while on antibiotics? Are sulfates bad for your hair? How do you pass a drug test? Pharmacist Ian Ginsberg, the president of C.O. Bigelow , tells us about his family-owned business, and then reveals some of the top questions his customers have asked over the years (and shares the answers). This interview originally aired in February, 2019, and remains one of our all-time favorites here at Fat Mascara. We’ll be back on January 6 with new episodes! Sponsor links & disco...
Dec 28, 2022•38 min
It’s the most wonderful time of the year…we’re wrapping up 2022 with our thoughts on everything we liked (nice) and didn’t (naughty) in the big, bad—and good?—world of beauty. Okay, you get it, we love a theme. Listen in for great products, gross trends, excellent stories, and regrettable choices. Then, go get some beauty sleep. You deserve it. Sponsor links & discount codes: shopmy.us/collections/31511 Episode recaps with links: fatmascara.com/blog Products mentioned on Ep. 464: shopmy.us/c...
Dec 23, 2022•42 min
Journalist turned brand builder Chloe Hall is Jenn’s guest co-host for this episode! The former Elle.com beauty director tells us about her career in beauty, shares some of the products she loves, and offers her take on the week's headlines: Kristin Cavallari’s beef with Olaplex; slight momentum in the U.S. movement to end hair discrimination; and the wacky world of beauty advent calendars. Plus, Drake’s candles, Milk Tea lipstick, and why Chloe’s baby is already a fan of slugging. Sponsor links...
Dec 22, 2022•41 min
Ashunta Sheriff knows how to light-up a face, put on lashes in two minutes, and keep her celebrity clients (Taraji P. Henson, Alicia Keys, and so many others) happy. In this fun and freewheeling catch-up, she talks to Jenn about her career; how anthropology informs her art; her makeup line, Ashunta Sheriff Beauty; her work on Empire and the upcoming Netflix show Survival of the Thickest —and how kindness and karma are the keys to her success. Sponsor links & discount codes: shopmy.us/collect...
Dec 16, 2022•48 min
Everybody’s hot for neck and décolletage care! Maybe it’s because we spend so much time hunched over? So, sit it up straighter and listen in as we talk about that and…2023’s color showdown (Viva Magenta vs. Digital Lavender); Wednesday Addams' soft-goth lips; people asking their doctors for pore removal (and other insights from an Allergan Aesthetics global trend report); why rust-colored weddings are all the rage; two-tone hair; shower routine “aesthetics”—and why people are so obsessed with tu...
Dec 14, 2022•32 min
Tory Burch is here to take the pressure off your holiday season. She told us “Perfection is not interesting"—so we’re going into the gift-giving, dinner-hosting, party-attending season with that mantra in mind. We also talked to the entrepreneur and fashion designer about dressing and decorating for the holidays; her fragrance collection, Tory Burch Essence of Dreams, and the memories that inspired it; the perfumes and colognes she grew up with; and her favorite beauty products (including the di...
Dec 09, 2022•36 min
Now that it is officially Festive Season, Jenn is gifting Jess with the embarrassing story of how she once had to model a “Silver Belle” look for holiday store visuals at Sephora. After that, we discuss two ways to use eyebrow pencil as lip liner; the newest version of L’Oréal Paris Wonder Water; a study showing how snowy landscapes can boost body positivity; and a new book that details the human fascination with butts and butt-accentuating fashion. Plus, we raise wands to a lake-inspired perfum...
Dec 07, 2022•35 min
The Sleep Doctor, Michael Breus, PhD, is here to help us get some rest—so we look (and feel) better! He shares sleep tips for boosting skin’s collagen levels, waking up without under-eye circles, and revving your metabolism. Plus, he tells us exactly how he helps his celebrity clients (Oprah Winfrey, Paris Hilton) improve their sleep and cure insomnia without drugs or supplements. This interview originally aired in September, 2020. We'll be back next week with all new episodes! Sponsor links &am...
Dec 02, 2022•47 min
Patrick Ta went from bankruptcy at age 21 to having his own makeup line just seven years later. In this episode, the celebrity makeup artist (clients include Rihanna, Ariana Grande, Joan Smalls, Chrissy Teigen—and some Hadids, Jenners & Kardashians) shares the lessons he’s learned along the way, including how to highlight like a Hadid, which bronzer makes the best eye shadow, and why a fan should be in your beauty kit. This interview originally aired in April, 2019. We took a little recordin...
Nov 30, 2022•34 min
Helena Bonham Carter calls perfume designer Azzi Glasser a “white witch” for her uncanny ability to transform personalities into scents. Learn how she develops custom fragrances to help actors like Jude Law, Alicia Vikander, and Orlando Bloom get into character for their movie roles and how she creates bespoke perfumes for private clients such as Kylie Minogue and Cindy Crawford. Plus, she talks about bottling the smell of rain; why the scent of Play-Doh is so addictive, and how to distinguish b...
Nov 25, 2022•50 min
We’re in a festive mood, Tom Ford is feeling f*cking fabulous, and Jess is taking us through a new beauty trend report that’s (unintentionally) laced with gallows humor. Anti-aging is out! The “me mentality” is in! We’ve all got “hyper fatigue,” and the Kardashians are alienating fans with their talk of dieting. There's also been an uptick in contact dermatitis recently, and experts say natural skincare may be causing some of those skin rashes. Plus, we raise our wands to small-business beauty b...
Nov 23, 2022•39 min
Writer, actress, and (super)model Paulina Porizkova—whose memoir, No Filter, came out this week—has a lot to say about our society’s fixation on youth and its fear of nudity. We talk about that, plus so much more: beauty culture under communist rule, navigating dating apps as a (very tall) 57-year-old woman, how the #metoo movement affected the modeling industry, and how her honesty has gotten her in trouble in the past. Sponsor links & discount codes: shopmy.us/collections/31511 Episode rec...
Nov 18, 2022•52 min
We’re answering so many pressing questions this week: Are beauty subscription boxes still worth getting? Why are interior designers offering scent-styling to clients? What does the EmFace treatment feel like? (Jenn tried it.) And, most importantly: Do people look like their dogs? Plus, Jess may finally convince Jenn to watch Real Housewives , a listener raises a wand to a hand cream, and we share a powder, cream, and liquid bronzer we like. Sponsor links & discount codes: shopmy.us/collectio...
Nov 16, 2022•39 min
Our interview with journalist Amy ODell, creator of the Substack newsletter Back Row and author of Anna: The Biography , brings together several themes that have been top of mind on Fat Mascara lately: trend saturation in fashion and beauty; the evolution of media; individual action vs. public policy when it comes to sustainability; and—of course!—the celebrity infiltration of the beauty industry. Plus, we talk about dangerous shoes, bleached eyebrows, and why wellness culture is here to stay. S...
Nov 11, 2022•38 min
Why is hyaluronic acid in pretty much every skincare product—and is it always helpful? Plus, the trend report that predicts virtual influencers will replace humans by 2027; how the scent of flowers is changing as the climate warms (and what that means for perfume); the first hair-relaxer lawsuit related to uterine cancer; and why Liquid Death (the water that murders your thirst) is so popular. We’re also raising wands to a deodorant that smells like figs, a beauty content creator you should foll...
Nov 09, 2022•35 min
Makeup artist and filmmaker Marcelo Gutierrez does sexy, expensive, and sometimes controversial work, but never without sensitivity. Jess talks to him about his serendipitous start in the business, his celebrity clientele (Dua Lipa, Lily-Rose Depp), his influences, and how his identity informs his art. Sponsor links & discount codes: shopmy.us/collections/31511 Episode recaps with links: fatmascara.com/blog Products mentioned on Ep. 450: shopmy.us/collections/85592 Private Facebook Group: Fa...
Nov 04, 2022•38 min
Filmmaker and actress Olivia Wilde is here to talk about her beauty growing pains, adventures in hair dye and microblading, raising her daughter to have a healthy relationship with beauty, and more. Plus, she tells Jenn how and why she became a "brand activist" for True Botanicals (Jess was busy with all things Fashion Week when we recorded). FYI: This interview originally aired in September, 2018. We’ll be back on Friday with all new episodes! Sponsor links & discount codes: shopmy.us/colle...
Nov 02, 2022•32 min
We’ve got the details on a new study that found a connection between hair relaxers and uterine cancer, plus an update on the makeup-free Miss England contestant and some thoughts on Jared Leto. After that, we’re talking about current trends in cosmetic injectables with Samantha Kerr, PhD, the chief science officer of Merz Aesthetics, in a segment sponsored by Xeomin, an FDA-approved treatment used to temporarily improve the look of moderate to severe frown lines between the eyebrows (glabellar l...
Oct 26, 2022•26 min
Anxiety? Stress? Aromatherapy can help with that—and also pain management, lack of energy, and so much more. Certified aromatherapist Denise LaPalm, the founder (and Chief Stress Officer!) of L'Beauxtique is here to talk about the difference between essential oils and carrier oils, share some of her favorite oils and tips for getting a better night’s sleep, and explain why not all aromatherapists love lavender. Sponsor links & discount codes: shopmy.us/collections/31511 Episode recaps with l...
Oct 21, 2022•41 min
